Interval timer



R. J; CONRADT INTERVAL TIMER March 24, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan.15, 1968 I INVENTOR RICHARD J. CONRADT 7 W AffTORNEYS March 24, 1970 R.J-. C ONRADT INTERVAL TIMER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 15, 1968 FIG. 7

FIG. 8

FIG. 9

INVENTOR RICHARD J CONRADT United States Patent 0,

3,501,909 INTERVAL TIMER Richard J. Conradt, 774 Meigs St., Rochester,N.Y. 14620 Filed Jan. 15, 1968, Ser. No. 697,689 Int. Cl. G04f 3/02 US.Cl. 5822.9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This timer may be set tooperate at less than the maximum operating period of the mechanism whichactuates it. For use with a citizen band radio, for instance, it will beset to time five minute intervals. A translucent dial having two sets ofindicia around its reading face on red and green segments, respectively,covers the front of the instrument. To set the timer, a stop isrotatably adjusted angularly away from zero position, in which one ofthe segments is uppermost, in correspondence with the interval to betimed. The timer drive shaft is then rotated angularly to this stopposition by a knob which carries a spring-pressed detent that rotatesthe dial with the knob and a block on the dial winds a torsion spring.When the knob reaches the stop this spring rotates the dial slightlybeyond the stop to bring the other segment of the dial uppermost.

This invention relates to timers, and more particularly to a consecutiveinterval timer for indicating the passage of a plurality ofpredetermined time periods. In a more specific aspect, this inventionrelates to a timer, which is particularly adapted for use with citizenband radios to provide both visual and audible indications of the timeperiods in which the radio may be used for transmitting and receiving,respectively.

It is conventional to employ an interval timer, which can be setmanually to control the interval of time during which an associatedmachine (for example, a washing machine, a dryer etc.) will operate.Such a timer, for example, may be adjusted by a manually-operable knob,which can be rotated up to nearly 360 to set the desired timing intervalbefore the device times out. In some cases, upon expiration of the settime, the timer will actuate an alarm, as in the case of a timer or anelectric cooking stove.

In many instances it is desirable to use an interval timer which can beused to measure identical intervals of time consecutively. In the caseof citizen band radios, for example, which by reason of FCC (FederalCommunications Commission) regulations cannot transmit for more thanfive minutes at a time, and which must stand by for at least fiveminutes between each transmitting period, a timer capable of timing fiveminute intervals consecutively would be particularly useful. However,interval timers, which are designed specifically for this purpose, arenot commercially available. As a consequence it has been the practice toemploy, for example, a fifteen or sixty minute timer and to rotate thetimer shaft through only a part of a revolution, when it is desired tomeasure an interval less than the maximum that can be measured by thetimer. The disadvantage of this practice, as employed with known timers,however, is that extreme care must be taken in setting the timed to avalue less than its maximum, because there is no automatic indication ofwhen the timer is properly so set. Moreover, While such prior timersusually incorporate a switching mechanism ice for either starting orstopping an operation, or for actuating a warning device, when therespective timer has timed out, or returned to zero, such prior timershave not included adequate means for visually indicating the status ofthe timer at any particular instant.

One object of this invention is to provide a timing device useful inmeasuring, audibly and visibly, equal or differe'nt lengths of time insequence or otherwise.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved timer, whichcan readily be set precisely to measure a desired time interval.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved intervaltimer, which can be adjusted easily to alter the time intervalmeasurable thereby.

A further object of this invention is to provide novel means forindicating time lapse on an interval timer of the type described.

A still further object of this invention is to provide means forconverting a timer capable of operating for a given period of time sothat it operates at less than that interval.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a consecutiveinterval timer for measuring and indicating successive time intervalsand color coded for easier identification of the cycle in which it isoperating at any one time. A more specific object of this invention isto provide a fiveminute interval timer, which is particularly adaptablefor timing the operations of a citizen band radio.

Other objetcs of the invention will be apparent hereinafter form thespecification and from the recital of the appended claims, particularlywhen read in conjunction with accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of an interval timer made inaccordance with one embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of this timer with parts thereofbroken away and shown in section;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of this timer with its actuating knob andgraduated dial removed;

FIG. 4 is a front elevation view illustrating in detail the adjustmentassembly for the timer;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the assembly shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the 66 in FIG. 2 looking in thedirection of the arrows, with parts of the adjustment assembly removed;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 77 in FIG. 6looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged, fregmentary sectional view taken along the line-88 in FIG; 7 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 6, but illustrating the dial and itsblock rotated from the position shown in FIG. 6.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals of reference, 2O denotes aninterval timer comprising a generally cup-shaped shell 21 containing thecylindrical housing 22 of a conventional timer mechanism, which has notbeen illustrated in detail herein. The shell 21 is adapted to besupported by a right angular mounting bracket 24, one leg 23 of whichextends across the open end of the shell. Around its perimeter leg 23has a plurality of integral lugs 25, which are secured against theinside surface of shell 21 by screws 26. The actuating shaft 28 (FIGS.3, 6 and 7) of the timer mechanism projects out of housing 22 andthrough a central opening in the bracket leg 23.

Secured to the outer face of leg 23 coaxially of shaft 28 is a thin,dielectric disc 30 (FIGS. 2 and 3), which has fastened to its outer facea pair of arcuate, metal conductor strips 31 and 32, that are radiallyspaced coaxially from one another and from shaft 28. At one end thereof,their lower ends as illustrated in FIG. 3, these strips 31 and 32 areconnected to a pair of wire leads 34. These leads extend through anopening in a stationary wire guide 35 on disc 30, through the spacebetween shell 21 and the housing 22, and through a grommet 36 in therear end of shell 21, to a source of electric power at the exteriorthereof.

Secured at one end thereof to the insulating disc 30 between the lowerends of conductors 31 and 32 is a further, dielectric insulator 37 (FIG.3). The opposite end of insulator 37, which extends radially outwardlyrelative to shaft 28, and over the outermost conductor 31, has on itsouter end an offset tab 38, that projects outwardly beyond the outeredge of the bracket leg 23. Intermediate its ends insulator 37 has aknife edge 39, which extends transversely across the outermost conductor31 for a purpose described below.

Mounted at one end for pivotal adjustment about the shaft 28 is a timerange setting arm 41 (FIG. 3), which has at its outer end an offsetportion 42 that projects radially beyond disc 30. Intermediate its endsarm 41 has a right angular stop lug 43, which projects away from thedisc 30. Also rotatably adjustable on the shaft 28, and overlying thearm 41 is a dial setting arm 45, which also has a laterally offset outerend 46 that projects radially beyond the periphery of disc 30. Arm 45carries a torsion spring 47 (FIG. 4), one end of which is clampedbeneath a rolled edge 48 of this arm. The opposite end 49 of spring 47is axially spaced from arm 45 and extends radially inwardly, andtangentially of shaft 28.

Arms 41 and 45 are adjustably secured together by'a screw 51, whichextends through registering slots 52 in the arms 41 and 45, and whichthreads through the disc 30 and bracket leg 23 into the housing 22 ofthe timer mechanism. Three washers 53, the outer one of which may be forexample, a rippled shaped spring washer, are interposed between,respectively, the arms 41 and 45, arm 41 and disc 30, and arm 45 and thehead of screw 51, so that either arm 41 or arm 45 may be adjusted aboutthe shaft 28 without disturbing the other.

The outer end of shaft 28 is slotted in conventional manner to provide apair of resilient prongs or furcations 28 (FIG. 3), the outer faces ofwhich are flatted off. Secured at one end to one of the prongs 28' forrotation by the shaft 28 is a pointer 55, the radially outer end ofwhich tapers to a point adjacent the periphery of disc 30. Removablymounted in a socket in the outer end of pointer 55 is a bulb 56, whichis connected in circuit with a pair of spaced, metal brushes orconductors 57 (FIG. 3), which projects from one side of the pointer 55.The outer end of one of these brushes 57 is constantly engaged with theradially innermost conductor strip 31 on disc 30 regardless of theposition of the pointer 55, but the other brush 57 is engaged at itsouter end with the insulator 37 when the timer is in its zero positionas illustrated in FIG. 3, and is in contact with the other conductor 32,when the timer is operating. At the pointed end of pointer 55, thesocket containing bulb 56 is covered by a white, translucent material,which illuminates the pointer when the bulb 56 is energized.

Rotatably mounted on the shaft 28 over the pointer 55, and overlying theperipheral edge of the disc 30 coaxially thereof is an inverted,generally bowl-shaped dial 60 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 6 to 9). Dial 60 is madeof a translucent plastic material, or the like, and adjacent itsperiphery is provided with a conical surface portion 61 upon which isinscribed, two diametrically-opposed sets of indicia, each of which, inthe case illustrated, includes the numbers zero to five, inclusive.One-half of the dial 60, for example, the upper half thereof asillustrated in FIG. 1, is preferably tinted red, while the other half(the lower half in FIG. 1) is preferably tinted to a contrasting coloras, for instance, green. Normally, when the associated citizen bandradio is not transmitting, the red half of the dial 60 will beuppermost, as illustrated in FIG. 1, and the green portion of the dialwill be lowermost. Dial 60 is secured against axial movement on theshaft 28 by a conventional knob 62, which is shaped as a pointer havingan indicating pointer end 63, and which has at one side thereof acentrally disposed blind bore that is pressfitted over the resilientfurcations 28' of the shaft.

Integral with the inside face of the dial 60 is a rectangular block orland 64 (FIGS. 6, 7 and 9), which is engaged by the end 49 of torsionspring 47. Mounted to reciprocate parallel to the shaft 28 in a recess66 in the outer end of knob 62 is a detent 67 (FIGS. 7 and 8), which hasa cam surface 75 at its inner end, and a reduced diameter shank that isurged into engagement with dial 60 by a spring 68, which is mounted inrecess 66 between the bottom of the recess and the detent. A washer 69,which is press-fit in a counterbore in the open end of recess 66,surrounds the shank of the detent 67 limiting movement thereof out ofthe recess 66.

At diametrically opposite sides of shaft 28 dial 60 has a pair ofcircular openings 71 and 72, which are selectively registrable withdetent 67. When the timer mechanism in housing 22 is not operating-Le,it has counted outthe several parts are in the positions illustrated inthe drawings; and the detent 67 is engaged in opening 71, so that knob62 and dial 60 are releasably coupled to one another by the detent.

In use the timer 20 is adapted to be secured by its bracket leg 24, forexample, to the bottom edge of the dashboard of an automobile containinga citizen band radio; and the wires 34 are connected to a power source.Let us assume now that the interval timer in housing 22 is a fifteenminute mechanism, and that, if its shaft 28 is rotated (clockwise inFIG. 1) 360, fifteen minutes will be required for the shaft to returnback to its normal starting position.

This timer may be set by the attachment of the present invention,however, for any interval less than fifteen minutes, say for a fiveminute interval, as when it is used with a citizen band radio. To so usethe timer, the adjustable arm 41 is pivoted manually until it ispositioned as precisely as possible clockwise from zero position (FIG.3), which is the setting for a five minute operation. The knob 62 isthen manually rotated (clockwise in FIG. 1) until pointer 55, whichmoves with the knob, strikes the stop lug 43 (FIG. 3). This rotates theshaft 28 120 from its zero position.

During the above-described 120 rotation, the detent 67, which projectsinto the hole 71, causes the dial 60 and block 64 also to be rotated120. At this position the spring arm 49 is engaging a corner of the land64 as shown in FIG. 9, and the spring develops a torque which causes thedial 60 to cam the detent out of the hole 71 in the dial into recess 66against the resistance of spring 68. This allows spring 47 to rotate thedial 60 further in the direction of arrow 74 (FIG. 9), until the springarm 49 once again engages one of the long sides of the land 64, or theside opposite to that engaged by the arm 49 in FIG. 6.

Thus the dial 60 will be driven one half a revolution, and the pointer55 will be in registry with the numeral 5 located on the green portion76 of the dial 60, which now is uppremost from the position shown inFIG. 1). At this time, also, the contacts 57 on the pointer 55 will bevin engagement with the two conductors 31 and 32. This causes the lamp orbulb 56 in the pointer 55 to be illuminated; and the illuminated pointeris in turn viewable through the translucent dial 60. This indicatesvisually that the radio is in a transmitting period.

As the shaft 28 rotates back to its zero position, driven by the clockmechanism in case 22, the dial 60 is held stationary by the spring arm49 abutting block 64, but the pointer 55 and the knob 62 rotatebackwardly with the shaft v28 towards zero position. During this returnmovement to zero position the retracted detent 67 slides on dial 60,until the knob 62 reaches start position at which time the detent 67will snap into hole 72 in the dial 60, once again to couple together theknob and dial. As the pointer 55 approaches zero position, the radiallyoutermost of its contacts 57 rides up over the knife edge 39 onto theinsulator 37, interrupting power to the lamp 56, and causing the lamp tobe turned off. Substantially simultaneously an audible warning signal inthe conventional timer housing 22 is actuated. The shell 21 and casing22 have a plurality of holes 78 (FIG. 2) formed in their rear, whichprevent deadening of the sound; and the operator is warned both visuallyand audibly, therefore, that the five minute time interval has expired.

To time now the five minute interval during which the radio will be heldin standby or non-transmitting status, the knob 62 is once again rotatedin a clockwise direction from the position in FIG. 1 until pointer 55once again strikes the stop lug 43 on arm 41 at approximately 120 fromzero position. This time the detent 67, which is now engaged in hole 72,rotates the dial 60 120; and again spring arm 49 causes the dial 60 tocontinue to rotate an additional 60, thereby to return the red half 77of the dial 60 to its upper position shown. The timing mechanism in case22 then again rotates pointer 55 back to zero, and once again the lightis turned off and the alarm sounded, but this time to indicate that theidle, nontransmitting period is ended.

If at any time when the timer has counted out the pointer 55 does notregister properly with a zero indicium on dial 60, the arm 45 may berotated slightly around the shaft 28 by means of tab 46. This causesspring 47, which is carried by arm 45, to be adjusted relative to shaft28 so that spring 47 through its arm 49 adjusts the at rest position ofdial 60 relative to shaft 28, to properly set the zero indicium on dialbeneath and in registry with the pointer 55.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the attachment disclosedherein provides a ready means for standardizing the types of intervaltimers. Standard timers capable of timing a maximum interval of say onehour, can readily be adapted to time out at less than the maximum timemeasurable by the timer.

By making the block or land 64 on dial 60 triangular instead ofrectangular, the operation would be changed from a two-interval to athree-interval operation. Moreover, by employing a pentagonal land 64,the operation can be changed from two-interval to five-interval. Witheach change in the shape of the land 64, however, the indicia on thedial 60 would have to be altered correspondingly.

While the invention has been described in connection with a specificembodiment thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of furthermodification, and this application is intended to cover any variations,uses, or adaptations of the invention following, in general, theprinciples of the invention and including such departures from thepresent disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the artto which the invention pertains and as may be applied to the essentialfeatures hereinbefore set forth, and as fall within the scope of theinvention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An interval time, comprising a timer mechanism having a shaftrotatable in one direction to wind said mechanism, and in the oppositedirection to unwind said mechanism,

a graduated dial member,

a pointer member,

means mounting said members on said shaft in operative relation to eachother, with one of said members being secured to said shaft for rotationtherewith and with the other of said members being rotatable relative tosaid shaft, means releasably coupling said members together for rotationwith said shaft, and means operative upon the rotation of said shaft andmembers a predetermined distance in said one direction automatically torotate said other member further in said one direction independently ofsaid one member and said shaft. 2. An interval timer as defined in claim1, including adjustable means for limiting the rotation of said shaft insaid one direction without interfering with said further rotation ofsaid other member.

3. An interval timer as defined in claim 1, including adjustable meansfor limiting the extent to which said other member rotates beyond saidone member in said one direction.

4. An interval timer as defined in claim 1, wherein said other member isa circular dial diametrically opposite halves of which are coloreddifferently from one another, and

means is provided for illuminating said pointer member and one of saidhalves of said dial, when said shaft is in a wound condition.

5. An interval timer as defined in claim 1, wherein the last-named meanscomprises a cam secured to said other member, and

a spring interposed between said cam and said shaft and operative tourge said other member further in said one direction after said onemember has stopped.

6. An interval timer, comprising a timer mechanism having a shaftrotatable a predetermined distance away from a position of rest to setsaid mechanism for a predetermined timing interval,

a pointer secured to said shaft for rotation therewith,

a dial rotatable on said shaft and having thereon a plurality of sets ofgraduations angularly spaced around said shaft, and

means for successively indexing said sets of graduations into operativerelation to said pointer, each time said shaft is rotated out of saidrest position said predetermined distance,

said indexing means including means releasably coupling said dial tosaid shaft for movement therewith in one direction only.

7. An interval timer as defined in claim 6, wherein said indexing meansincludes means operative to disconnect said coupling means and to movesaid dial relative to said shaft, when said shaft has been rotated saidpredetermined distance.

8. An interval timer as defined in claim 7, wherein the disconnectingmeans comprises a cam secured to said dial and having thereon aplurality of plane surfaces at least equal in number to the number ofsets of graduations on said dial, and

a spring engaged with one of said surfaces, when said shaft is in saidrest position, and operative upon the rotation of said shaft saidpredetermined distance from said position of rest, to exert on said cama moment strong enough to disconnect said coupling means and rotate saiddial relative to said shaft until said spring engages another of saidsurfaces thereby to resist further movement of said dial.

9. An interval timer as defined in claim 6, including a pair of armsrotatably mounted adjacent one end thereof on said shaft for limitedangular adjustment thereabout,

a stop on one of said arms positioned to engage said pointer, when saidshaft has been rotated said predetermined distance from said restposition, and

means on the other of said arms for shifting said dial about said shaftto place one of said sets of graduations into proper operative relationto said pointer.

7 8 10. An interval timer as defined in claim 9, wherein ReferencesCited the last-named means comprises a torsion spring hav- UNITED STATESPATENTS ing a free end extending transverse to said shaft, and saidindexing means further includes a many-sided land xi zi g zi 'g Integralwith said dial and engaged by Sald free end 5 2,667,921 2/1954 Doyle 5822 9 of said spring normally to resist movement of said dial relative tosaid shaft, and operative under the RICHARD B. WILKINSON, PrimaryExaminer resistance of said free end of said spring to rotate saidLAWRENCE R FRANKLIN Assistant Examiner dial beyond said predetermineddistance, when said shaft has been rotated said predetermined distance10 U.S. Cl. X.R.

from said rest position. 58-21.13

